Guest Blogger: How to Create a Peaceful and Serene Nursery

Guest Blogger #489, Entry #1126, April 25, 2012

If you are thinking it is time to start thinking about your baby on the way nursery, you are right! Although spring has historically signaled a time of rejuvenation, budding life at every turn, and even festivals devoted to fertility, it seems that the long winter months are prime time for conception, and the result is many a nesting mother-to-be looking for ways to create the perfect nursery for the impending arrival of her newborn. Now that warmer winds are blowing in you can open the windows to air out whichever room is getting converted into a nursery, and there are tons of ways to design a space that is peaceful and serene for mother and child alike.

Choose colors that will inspire and soothe your baby

Image via: Sweet Peastacie.blogspot

Choosing colors

The place to start, as with most redecorating projects, is with paint. And if you’re looking to create a tranquil atmosphere you may want to skip the bold, candy-colored hues that are currently the height of interior fashion. The popular opinion not so long ago was that babies found bright colors more stimulating than subdued or neutral tones. But the truth is that infants are drawn to contrast, so you could put a pale shade of soothing lavender, sea-foam green, or robin’s egg blue on the walls and add some artwork in dark-wood frames to create that contrast that a child’s eye might be drawn to. On the other hand, your baby won’t be able to clearly focus on the walls for a few months anyway. The point is, you don’t need to worry about crippling the development of your child’s brain function by choosing a pastel wall color. You should, however, select a no-VOC paint to keep harmful toxins out of the interior air.

Insulating against the elements

Something that most people don’t consider until it’s too late is insulation. Now, you might not want to tear out the walls and totally renovate the room, but you should think about installing double- or even triple-paned glass in this room, especially if you live in an area with extreme weather (hot, cold, or both). This will keep the temperature and humidity in the room as close to constant as possible. A less expensive solution would be to simply purchase insulated blinds, shades, shutters, or curtains to keep in the bought air. And if you’re worried about the air quality, add a portable purifier to remove any allergens or toxins that could be present.

Choose comfortable and beautiful furniture elements

Image via: Babies and family.pinterest

Furnishings

Next you need to think about the appointments that will make the nursery comfy, cozy, and totally relaxing. Selecting the proper furnishings is not too difficult, and aside from the crib and changing table you’ll probably want to include a comfortable rocker (since that’s where you’ll spend most of your time in this room). If you have the space you might even consider the inclusion of a futon or twin bed in the room for nights when baby is fussy of has a fever. And of course, you’ll want to provide for soft lighting with a dim lamp, nightlight, or even recessed bulbs on a dimmer switch. Throwing in a sound machine to provide soothing sea noises couldn’t hurt, either, and you should probably place a bookshelf near your rocker so that you can easily reach for a children’s story, a book of prayers, or the latest novel on the bestseller list (no reason you can’t squeeze in a little light reading while you rock your baby to sleep).

For more nursery ideas on Stagetecture, click here.